How & What to Pray

[LoraiLisieux]

More than anything, I want what God wants. I trust Him more than I trust myself. I am often confused over what more I should pray beyond ‘Thy will be done.’ (Or, not to pray as the pagans do, rambling on and on, but to cling to the Our Father).

But then, of course, Christ himself would go off to pray, and so I’m wondering are we to talk further about our needs and desires? A kind priest replied on someone else’s thread here recently, confirming what I’d read by St. Teresa of Avila, that the main component of prayer is putting ourselves in the Lord’s presence (especially silencing ourselves to listen!).

I’ve also recently read Jean-Pierre de Caussade’s Abandonment to Divine Providence, and it really resonated with me. I am in a state of life that is particularly dependent on God (chronic illness), and I praise Him for His providence in how he is orchestrating my life (unbeknownst to me), because He knows better than I do.

My question, I guess, is this… I have long felt that I am called to marriage, to have children, and I have heard many faithful Catholics say that they prayed long and hard for their future spouse. I am confused over whether I should rest assured in seeking Christ first (consoling Him, meditating on Him, His passion, ‘seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be granted unto you, hallelujah’), or if I should channel some of my prayer directly toward a spouse.

If Our Lord does not desire me to marry, I do not want to impose my desires on Him. I know that He will give me all the desires of my heart, but I do not want to pray for them because I want what He wants (and I do not know what He wants).

I do not want to be lazy with prayer, if I should be praying for a spouse, but I also don’t want these (my) desires to distract me from God’s will, whatever that may be (which may or may not include a husband).

Hope this makes sense. I get confused between abandonment and surrendering our will, and making our desires known to God, praying unceasingly. It is likely my ignorance, but it seems even in Scripture I get confused. Thanks in advance for any counsel!

 

[Mystical_Seeker]

Please let me recommend a book that is used as a text for introductory prayer classes at some seminaries.

It’s by a Jesuit, and there is an Audible version read by the author, which I like better than reading or to read along.

It covers praying “at” God (memorized prayer), praying “to” God (personal prayer), “listening” to God (meditation), and “resting” in God (contemplative), as different stages of prayer. It’s not exactly like a step by step thing, so don’t take my words here as representing his exactly.

It is easy to read and is very honest and almost funny when he talks about dealing with distractions during prayer. There is a “Look Inside” at Amazon:

Armchair Mystic: Easing Into Contemplative Prayer Paperback – April 1, 2001
by Mark E. Thibodeaux S.J. (Author)

Another good read are the expressions of prayer, from the Catechism (2700-2724)

 

[LoraiLisieux]

Thank you! I will read into those more – God bless you!

 

[Eric_Hyom]

I am in a state of life that is particularly dependent on God (chronic illness), and I praise Him for His providence in how he is orchestrating my life (unbeknownst to me), because He knows better than I do.

I think you are doing the right thing.

A few years ago, I had a mole removed that might be cancerous, about a month after the doctor phoned to say he urgently wanted to see me, it was non Hodgkins Lymphoma, our best friend had this cancer, and three months after, she died.

After the initial shock of knowing I had been given a possible death sentence, I prayed for the wisdom peace and perseverance to do God’s will, regardless as to whether the cancer would prove to be fatal or just an inconvenience. I can only say that from the moment of making this prayer, I have experienced profound times of peace and the thought of cancer has never troubled me at all. I could not imagine being able to live in peace with this knowledge without faith

I have never once prayed for healing, at the age of 65, the prayer for healing seemed too complicated to me. We all die at some point, and I just accept this.

Sorry, no thoughts on prayer for marriage.